Queen and brood in the flow top box... Advice please

Flow Hive
1

We found that there was brood comb in the flow frames and the brood box frames were full of honey.
Happily we found the queen and put her in the bottom box. We use an excluder but she must have got in the top box at at last inspection.
Our solution…We harvested 2 flow frames that were capped and had no brood in it We are hopeful that the bees move some honey out of the brood box into the flow frames that we just emptied.
Should we put some empty frames in the brood box so the bees can make some cells for Queenie to lay in. or cut out some honey comb off the filled frames so they can make new cells for eggs or just wait and see if they fix things themselves???
Queenie is now in the brood box, excluder in place, but nowhere to lay unless the girls move the honey. My feeling is to leave them alone for 2 weeks, so they have time to fix the hive themselves. Then inspect again and check that the eggs laid in the in the flow frames have hatched. Then open them so the workers can clean them up and start again.
Thoughts and advice please.

2

If you do that, I would inspect after a week. If they decide not to move the honey, they may get a swarming urge. You would do well to check for queen cells after a week so that you can intervene if needed.

3

Thanks Dawn. Will check in a week

4

Thats a big YES! … either will work. If your brood box is honey bound with no room for the queen to lay, there is a chance that your bees may abscond. Don’t wait for the bees to fix it as it may be all too late.

My suggestion would be to fix the brood box situation right away. Then as you have suggested, let the brood hatch from the super. You should then remove those Flow frames and carefully clean them as there will be coccoons from the brood in the Flow cells that may impede the honey draining.

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5

thanks Rod,
Would you just cut out some of the honey laden wax and let them build more cells for Queenie to lay in or put in new waxed foundation frames for the girls to build on?

Kate

6

Either Kate, if you have foundation in a new frame then put that in, they’ll need to consume lots of honey stores to draw out the wax.

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7

I agree totally with @Rodderick and can’t add anything to his good advise.
Regards

8

How do you clean out the flow frames if there is brood in them.

9

I think frame disassembly and elbow grease are the best bet.

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